19. Chapter Eighteen

Chapter Eighteen

Lana

I ’m a horrible friend. I know that because I can’t even make myself call Brooke directly, and it’s not because I think she’ll have a hard time talking about her father.

She only wants to see him rot in prison for the rest of his miserable life, and she’d do anything it took to help any of the other Omegas he’s hurt.

I’m going to avoid calling her because it’s too hard for me .

It makes me feel pathetic under the circumstances, but not enough to change my mind.

I spend a few seconds lost in anguish, staring at her number in my phone before I shamefully scroll past it. The name of one of her Alpha mates is just a few spots down in my list.

Kellan was a friend for a while before he met Brooke, and the thought of calling him makes me feel guilty, and underhanded, because we really haven’t kept in touch and I’m only calling him because I’m too gutless to call Brooke.

He’s one of Brooke’s fated mates.

I’m just the girl who helped him get into the academy so he could see her again.

In this moment I don’t know what ever made me think I could be with her.

She’s so completely out of my league.

The pack she found are perfect for her.

Kellan spent his whole adult life saving like a demon for that chance to see her again.

He deserves to be with her. He’s the Alpha she’s always needed.

I hit dial on his number, and I bring the phone to my ear while I try to compose myself to talk to a guy I’m intensely happy for and extremely jealous of, all at the same time.

He picks up in a single ring, so I’m guessing he had his phone out.

“Lana? Is that you?” he answers, sounding surprised.

I take a breath and pull a smile to my lips. “It’s me, and before you drag me for not calling, I should remind you, you haven’t exactly kept in touch with me, either.”

“Sorry,” he apologizes, making me feel instantly guilty for giving him pre-emptive shade. “For the first time in my life it feels like the days are flying past in a blur. I can barely keep up. Sorry for not calling. It’s not because I didn’t want to.”

He means it. He’s too nice not to feel bad about ignoring a friend.

It makes me feel even worse, because he hasn’t called for the right reasons.

I didn’t want to call him, and that makes me feel like an asshole.

“It’s okay,” I tell him. “I’ve been busy, too. I was just ragging you, K.”

“Oh. Right,” he says with a laugh. “So, what’s happening?”

“I’m glad you asked, because I kind of need a favor.”

“Anything,” he tells me.

I know he means that, too.

I did everything I could to help him get into the academy when it seemed next to impossible.

He bought me a car because I joked about it, so he doesn’t really owe me anything, but I’m going to ask anyway, because I’m too scared to go straight to Brooke with this.

“It’s kind of a weird ask,” I admit. “But I had a realization that Brooke’s father was probably using the academy in his work. I wondered if you guys had found anything in his office that might tell us who his subjects were.”

“Funny you should ask,” he says. “Brooke found files on a hard-drive we had someone crack for us. She’s been trying to work out who the subjects are from Goldcrest because he used codes for everyone’s name. She was making a list, and she was going to bring it to you once she got done.”

“Oh,” I murmur, feeling like even more of an asshole for bypassing calling her now.

“We’ve been speaking to the Alpha Alliance about finding psychologists who never worked with Warren or went on one of his courses. It’s apparently a tall order. I think they know at least one guy, but we might need more than one, considering how far this brainwashing project looks like it went before he was locked up.”

“I literally asked the Alliance this morning if they had someone they could send out here to help one of the women they rescued.”

“Did you hear back yet?”

“Not yet. I kind of thought it might take a minute.”

“It probably will, but if we can give them the whole list of Omegas affected at the academy, they’ll have a good reason to get someone out there faster to help them.”

My face warms at the idea of Brooke coming here with that list.

“There’s something you should know,” I start, knowing it’s something I’d have to tell him anyway.

“What is it?”

“There might be someone at the academy who wants to hurt me or threaten me in some way.”

It sounds so dumb saying it out loud. I might have made enemies when I took the job and starting changing things, but I can’t imagine anyone who works with me setting up that camera and taking out those lights, never mind waiting around for the right moment to do something nefarious.

He sucks in a breath. “What? Who? How can we help?”

“It’s probably nothing. Something a little weird happened. I just … I wouldn’t want Brooke here while it might not be safe to be around me.”

That’s true, but it’s also true that seeing Brooke right now would be hard.

“So, that’s why you haven’t called her?” he asks, his voice softening.

Shit. He’s asking me about that? It makes all kinds of questions flood my thoughts.

Does she talk about me? Do they know we were almost a thing?

“Uh … I’ve been busy and that whole thing definitely hasn’t helped.”

“I know Brooke wants to wait until you’re ready, but you get that our pack are cool with you dating our Omega on the side, right?”

“On the side?” I squeak out, feeling totally mortified.

“Well, we know you don’t want to be pack. But Brooke had feelings for you before we came along, and those feelings are never going away. She chose you, before she said yes to us.”

What he’s telling me is crazy.

Brooke wants to be with me, still, even if I say no to being with her pack?

I don’t think I’ve ever heard of that kind of relationship working out.

But if there’s anyone I’d try it for, it would be Brooke.

“Are you okay, Lana?” he asks, sounding vaguely amused.

I clear my throat. “No, I’m in shock. I just … I thought Brooke had moved on. I didn’t think she was still even thinking about me.”

“Well, you’d better get over that shock quick, because I’m going to bring her out there with that list, and you two are going to figure the last name out together while I keep watch for anyone who might be trying to attack you.”

“You really don’t have to …” I start.

“It feels like I really do,” he says. “I owe you a favor. It just might not be the favor you thought you were getting. It’ll be way better. Trust me.”

“I do.”

There’s no one I’d trust more.

“Good. I’ll probably have a fight on my hands dragging our mate away from the others for the trip out here, but I’ll figure it out and call you back tomorrow with the details.”

“Tomorrow?”

“We might not get there for a couple days, but I should know when we can be there when I call.”

I relax a little knowing I have more than a day to wrap my head around what he told me.

It sounds complicated, and I’m not sure I know how I’ll feel about it until I see her.

“Sounds good.”

“Great. I’ll speak to you tomorrow.”

“Speak to you then,” I echo, before the line goes dead.

I slip my phone back into my pocket and I grab my purse to check my face for signs of shock.

My cheeks are a little flushed, so I give it a minute before I put the compact away. I take my time walking over to the door to let my guests back into the room.

Shadow is sitting on the bench across from the door, and he jumps to his feet when I look out at him. “That was fast.”

Pete turns slowly, taking his phone away from his ear and putting it into his pocket as I give him what I hope is a normal smile.

He frowns at me. “What did I just miss?”

“I was just getting some information I needed from a friend.”

And I got a little more than I bargained for, but that’s nothing you guys need to know about.

Pete glances at Shadow. His Omega shrugs.

“Lunch should get here soon,” I tell them. “You can come back in if you promise to be quiet while I work. Otherwise, you can wait out here. Either way, I’ve got stuff to do.”

“We’ll be quiet,” Pete tells me.

I step back and let them in.

Shadow smiles at me. “Did you change your hair? It looks good.”

“Uh, no,” I murmur, feeling self-conscious because clearly, he’s noticed something is different about me since I made my call.

He’s an Omega, dummy. He knows what you’re feeling.

If he does, I wish he’d tell me what it is, because right at this moment, I have no damn idea.